Although there is still almost four years to go, a new poll brings good news for Governor Christie if he is considering a run in the 2016 presidential race.

A majority of Democrats, as well as Republicans, view the Republican governor favorably, and an even higher portion of women than men have a positive view of him, the poll found.

Overall, 55 percent of registered voters nationwide have a positive opinion of Christie, according to the poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind. That number includes 52 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans. Fifty-seven percent of women – who have tended to favor Democratic candidates in recent years – have a favorable opinion of Christie, as do 53 percent of men.

Christie has a higher favorability rating than four other potential 2016 Republican candidates included in the poll. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Senator from Florida, came in second with 46 percent of voters saying they have a positive opinion of him. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal had a 45 percent favorability rating. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and brother of former President George W. Bush, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum rounded out the list, with 32 and 31 percent favorability, respectively.

New Jersey’s governor was the only one of the politicians included in the poll who is viewed favorably by majorities of Democrats and Republicans, men and women, according to the survey, which has a 3.4 percent margin of error.

The poll found 68 percent of voters have heard of Christie – name recognition higher than Jindal’s or Rubio’s, but lower than that of Bush or Santorum.

Christie is running for re-election in next year’s gubernatorial race, and his name is frequently included in the list of possible Republican contenders for the 2016 presidential nomination. He flirted with a run in this year’s election before deciding against it and endorsing Mitt Romney.

The PublicMind poll included 814 registered voters who were interviewed by phone between Dec. 10 and Dec. 16.

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The Bloggers

Melissa Hayes, who has worked at The Record since 2010, covers Gov. Chris Christie and politics for the State House Bureau. Follow her on Twitter at @Record_Melissa. View all of her posts

Herb Jackson is the Washington correspondent for The Record, covering North Jersey issues on the Potomac, including the activities of the congressional delegation and federal policies that affect the region. Follow him on Twitter @Record_DC.View all of his posts.

Salvador Rizzo covers politics for The Record’s State House bureau, with a focus on financial issues and the state budget, and legal issues in the New Jersey courts. Follow him on Twitter @rizzoTK.View all of his posts.

Charles Stile is the political columnist for The Record. He is a former State House Bureau chief at The Record and has covered politics and government in New Jersey for more than two decades. Follow him on Twitter @PoliticalStile. View all of his posts